corning



(No Model.) 2 sheetssheet 1.

I F. G.'GORNING. APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING ELECTRIC GAR BATTERIES. No.434,580.

Patented Aug. .19, 1890.

.INVENTORI F Z/ ATTORNEY Puuro-uma, wAsmNm'uu, u. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. F. G. CORNING.

APPARATUS FOR TRANSPBRRING ELECTRIC GAR BATTERIES.

No. 434,580. Patented Aug. 19,1890.

T ili (f5 532i TINVENTUR BY .fi/KW;

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

FREDERICK G. CORNING, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR' TRANSFERRING ELECTRIC-CAR BATTERIE S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,580, dated August19, 1890.

Application filed May 81, 1890. Serial No. 353,808. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern- Be it known that L-FREDERICK G. CORNING,acitizen of the United States, residing at the clty, county, and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Transferring Electric-Car Batteries, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which similar numerals of reference indicate correspondingparts throughout, and in which Figure 1 is a general side elevationillustrating my invention; Fig. 2, a plan view of- Fig. 1, and Fig. 2 adiagram of a modification relating to Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is anenlarged endelevation of the apparatus wherein the car is moved vertically,indicating the positron of the battery-racks, and also illustratlng oneelementary form of mechanism suitable for regulating the verticalmovement of the car; and Fig. 4 is a detail view showing in sideelevation the said mechanism for regulating the vertical movement of thecar. Fig. 5 is an end elevation representing diagrammatically, on areduced scale, the use of double benches in the battery-racks inconjunction with my invention.

The invention herein relates to transferring secondary batteries oraccumulators or other batteries from an electro-motive car to therecharging shelves or benches, wherein a large extent of charging-spaceis required to be condensed within a restricted horizontal limit, andwherein for the above purposes the car is transported to differentlevels upon a movable platform or section of car-track in proxlmity to avertical series of such benches flanking. the track, such as describedand claimed by me in a separate patent, application filed May 21, 1890,Serial No. 852,638.

The object is primarily to elevate the car simultaneously with itsmovement from the street or stand into the stall of thecharglug-station, thereby saving time, and, secondaril-y, to utilize themotor on the car itself as the power to elevate it, and also to utilizethe weight of the car to move it vertically to different levels oppositethe battery-benches.

To these ends my invention consists in the combination, with avertically-movable platform or section of car-track flanked by thebattery-charging racks, wherein the batteries are placed in verticalseries, of an ascending grade or grades of track or inclined planewhereon the car is conveyed to an initial level and from a final levelof the said movable platform or equivalent by the traction of itsrunning-gear.

My invention also comprises means for ef-' footing and controlling thevertical motion of the platform, whereby the same may be operated bypower of gravity both in descending and ascending, and whereby thedescent of the car may be arrested at will when its battery-receptaclesare opposite any of the charging-benches.

l inthe several figures represents the movable platform, and 36guideways therefor, the apparatus being substantially similar in leadingfeatures to that illustrated in my said separate patent application, and5 5 represent the battery-racks flanking the movable platform and itspath of movement, the benches 6 receiving the batteries in gangs orranks, occupying thereby a minimum of horizontal space. Usual orsuitable electrical connections are established in the racks, wherebyeach gang of batteries when they are received upon the benches 6 areincluded in the recharging-circuit. The closing of the circuit isautomatically effected by suitable electrij cal contacts arranged uponthe battery-trays connected to the poles of the batteries andcorresponding electrical contacts in the benchracks, or when thebattery-trays are shifted to the car by similar electrical contacts inthe car-receptacles connected with the motorcircuit. Such electricalconnections, having been heretofore fully described, will not requirespecific description here.

46 represents the normal or street level. or location of the main lineof track, and 45 47 the ascending grades, upon which the car is run byits own motor. The range of movement of the platform 1 is preferablyfrom an initial position, which is above the normal level 46, to a finalposition below such level, whereby the energy of ascending the grades isdivided between the approach and departure of the car from the stall andthe required elevation attained within a minimum horizontal limit oftravel for a given percentage of grade. At such initial and finalpositions of the platform 1 the tracks 4 thereon coincide with thetracks 3 3 of the respective grades. The plan view, Fig. 2, indicatesthe essential arrangement of the tracks 3 in order to permit the passageof the cars where the 5 two grades approach the main line at asubstantially common point; otherwise should circumstances require, theapproaching and departing grades 45 and 47, respectively, may

be located in opposite orother directions with reference to theplatform, as indicated in Fig.

2, lying in a common vertical plane or 0011- tinuous line, as wouldappear in plan view.

In order to materially reduce the ascension required in proportion to agiven storing ca- I 5 pacity in the racks 5 5, I may employ benches ofdouble horizontal capacity, reducing the vertical distance substantiallyon e-half, as indicated in Fig. 5, such double benches being more fullydescribed and claimed in my separate patent application, filed May26,1890, Se-

rial No. 353,272. The percentage of the grade may thereby becorrespondingly reduced, or,

011 the other hand, retaininga given percentage of grade, the same maybeincluded in sub- 2 5 stantially half of the lineal distance required inconjunction with the single racks.

The mechanism for promoting the operation of the apparatus consists,elemcn tarily, in

a counterbalancing weight or weights 7 0, con- '0 nected to the platform1, said weights being of total gravity less than that of the. platformand car combined, but exceeding that of the platform, whereby thedescent is caused by the weight of the car and the ascent by the 5preponderance of the weights, also in aspeed regulating and stoppingmechanism for controlling the descent or ascent of the platform 1, themotion of the same being arrested opposite any of the benches by meansof suit- 4o able brake or other mechanism, such as 85.

The counterbalancing-weights 70 may be connected in a variety of ways,as also the brake mechanism, which may be variously constructedaccording to methods well known to the art, and I do not thereforequalify my invention by any specific form of such auxiliary devices.

In Figs. 3 and 4, 11 11 represent the uprights of the platform-frame,and 12 the crossbeams above each end of the platform, the structure thuscomposed being guided in its vertical movement by the ways 30. In orderto illustrate the apparatus in as simple a form as possible, I haveshown single cables 80, hav- 5 5 ing their ends connected directly andcentrally to the platform structure at either end thereof. Each cable 80is passed over sheaves 32, suitably located and continued in a coilabout the tension-sheaves 81 82. Both the upper tension-sheaves 81 arelocated upon a common shaft 83, the sheaves 82 being adjustable apartfrom the sheaves 81, whereby tension of the cable is regulated, and apositive frictional purchase obtained through the sheaves 81 and shaft83 during the descending or ascending motion of the car. The motion ofdescent of the car may thereby be arrested at will by the brake 85,applied to a drum 87, which is shown upon a countershaft 86, geared byapinion 88 and spur-gear 89 to the said shaft 83. A motor maybe connectedto the counter-shaft 86 for the purpose of elevating or moving the carindependent of gravity in any contingency.

An automatic stopping device may be applied to the brake, whereby theposition at which the platforlii shall stop in its descent may bepredetermined. To illustrate this I representin Fig. 3 avertically-movable brakerod 90, connected indirectly to the brake-lever91, whereby to raise the latter in opposition to the Weight 92 and applythe brake when the said rod 90 is thrust downward.

93 is a tripping-spur on the platform, and Bl movable stops in the rod90, any of which may be projected into the path of the spur 93 at willpreparatory to the descent of the platform. \Vhen the platform descends,the spur 93 will engage with any stop that shall have been projected,applying the brake and arresting the car when the battery-receptaclestherein are exactly opposite a certain bench in the racks. \Vhen thebatteries have been shifted, the stop 0t is withdrawn, releasing theweight 92, which releases the brake, permitting the continued descent ofthe car. The steps 94: are accessible to the operator on the platform20. The brake may be applied at will by the operator at any level bydirect agency of the rod 90.

In general operation the caris raised by its own electric motorascending the grade 45. The platform 1 being in its elevated or initialposition, (shown in Fig. 1,) the said car is run upon it. By means ofthe brake or other suitable retaining device the platform is kept in itsinitial position until the car has moved wholly upon it, or until it isdesired to permit the act of descent. As soon as released the car andplatform gravitate, preponderating the weights 70, and the speed ofdescent or the point or points of stoppage are determined at will by thebrake mechanism or predetermined by the steps, such as described. Afterthe batteries have been shifted from the car and charged onessubstituted the descent is .completed and the platform kept in its finalposition, (illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 1,) while the car is runoff byits own motor, ascending the grade 47 thence to the normal levelor stand at 46. As soon as the car has left the platform 1 the latter iselevated by the weights now preponderating, and regulated in itsascending speed again by the aforesaid brake, being arrested at itsoriginal position preparatory to a repetition of the operation.

In the use of single battery-benches-such as illustrated in Fig. 3-twostops are necessarily made during the descent of the car. In

the use of double benches, as in Fig. 5, two stops are likewise madewhen such double benches are designed for the purpose of re ducingvertical space. I may, however, em-

ploy the double benches in a series of similar height as those in Fig.3, following the mode of operation described in said application, SerialNo. 353,272, wherein but a single halt of the car is made between itsinitial and final positions.

In all cases the batteries are preferably interchanged in descendingOrder of succession, utilizing gravity as the sole means of effectingthe vertical movement, the car having ascended by its own motor in themanner described. The invention is, however, in no way limited to thegravity operation of the platform, the application of an elevating-motorto the platform mechanism having been heretofore clearly pointed out.Nor is myinvention limited to the assignment of position of the gradesshown with reference to the platform or elevator. The ascension may beaccomplished Wholly upon a single incline either during the approach ordeparture of the car to or from the stall, the remaining track beinglevel, or the approaching track 45, upon Which a spent car enters, maybeof less incline than the other.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus for transferring electriccar batteries, thecombination, with a vertically-movable platform or section of car-trackand a battery-chargin g rack or racks flanking the same, of an inclinedtrack or plane or plurality of the same whereon the caris conveyed fromone to another of different levels in the range of movement of saidplatform or equivalent.

2. In an apparatus for transferring electriccar batteries, thecombination of a verticallymovable car-receivin g platform orequivalent, battery-charging benches flanking the same, and gradedcar-tracks or inclined planes eX- tending from a common level,respectively, to an initial and a final level in the rangeof movement ofthe said platform.

3. In an apparatus for transferring electriccar batteries, thecombination of a gravityactuated platform for the car, battery-chargin gbenches flankin g the same, and car-tracks or planes, one or bothwhereof are inclined from a normal level to the initial and final levelsof the said platform, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the chargingbenches, the ascending grades, andthe gravity-platform opposite the benches, of the counter-Weightsconnected to the platform by cables or otherwise to preponderate thesame, but being of less gravity than the platform and car combined, forthe purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with the chargingbenches, the ascending grades, andthe gravity-platform opposite the benches, of mechanism for controllingor arresting the descent of the platform at will.

6. The combination, with the chargingbenches, the ascending grades, thegravityplatform, and the counter-weights exerting a degree of forcemedial to that exerted by the loaded or unloaded platform, of mechanismfor controlling or arresting the vertical motions of the platform.

7. The combination, with the chargingbenches, the ascending grades, thegravityplatform opposite the benches, and the brake mechanism forarresting the descent of the platform, of mechanism, substantially asdescribed, for applying the said brake automatically at apredeterminedperiod in the descent of the car.

FREDERICK G. CORNING.

Witnesses:

H. F. PARKER, V. '1. WILsoN.

